Mikko Mäkelä (filmmaker)

Mikko Mäkelä is a Finnish filmmaker based in Britain, known for directing the feature films A Moment in the Reeds, released in 2017, and Sebastian, released in 2024. He was named by the trade publication IndieWire as one of twenty five LGBTQ filmmakers on the rise, recognition that reflected his growing profile within queer and independent cinema circles. Mäkelä grew up in a small town in eastern Finland and moved to England at the age of eighteen to continue his education. He studied English literature and French at the University of Nottingham and later at University College London, and also studied drama at the City Literary Institute in London. He began his career in the film industry as an editor before moving into directing and writing his own projects. His filmography spans work as director, writer, producer and editor across a range of short films and feature length productions made between 2015 and 2024, establishing him as a filmmaker whose work is grounded in personal and queer storytelling.